1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to operation of interactive computer programs, and more particularly to methods and systems for facilitating consistent translations of on-screen text into different languages.
2. Description of the Related Art
The worldwide proliferation of computer sales, and in particular the market for personal computers, has created a rapidly expanding need for translation of text associated with application programs (such as word processors, spreadsheets, and design software) into languages other than English. In particular, the on-screen elements presented to the user during operation of such programs typically contain textual information that guides the user through various interactive operations, or provides descriptive, explanatory or background information.
Wholesale translation of text into a foreign languages presents a number of difficulties, some relating to the integrity of the text itself and some deriving from efficiency considerations. Common English words and phrases, such as "File," "Open" and "Save," may have multiple, context-sensitive counterparts in foreign languages. While alternative use of these variations may occasionally be suitable for explanatory purposes, ordinarily a single, consistent term is most appropriately employed both in explanatory text and in "active" program elements such as menu bars, window captions and titles, dialog boxes and the like. The translator may be unaware of this need or, even if aware, fail on occasion to maintain the necessary consistency. The likelihood of error increases where program text is stored in unusual file formats. Whatever the cause, the probable result of linguistic inconsistency is user confusion and frustration. Moreover, needless multiple translations of the same text represents wasted effort.
Even sophisticated quality-control procedures can fail to detect each and every translation inconsistency. This is due to the large number of text entries in complex application programs, and the multitude of ways these can be presented to a user in the course of program execution.
The need for multiple language translations of an application program can also add considerably to the cost of its production and upkeep. Since the text portion of the program is ordinarily compiled along with the executable code, embedding the translation within the program itself results in the need to separately compile each foreign-language rendition of the application. This approach is employed in most prior-art translation systems, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,519, and its inefficiency multiplies each time the program is modified or updated for re-release; each new version must then be separately recompiled.